Word is Apple is cooking up some sort of new smart home device that combines the capabilities of an iPad, Apple TV, and HomePod — and it could hit shelves as early as next year.
That's according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who writes in this weekend's PowerOn newsletter that Apple's working on "a low-end smart display for using FaceTime and controlling home appliances" that's slated to launch next year. The display is designed to run everyday apps like Calendar, Notes, and Home while also letting users control their home appliances and quickly look up information. Apple has also tested prototypes with magnets for wall-mounting.
Most interestingly, this display will support Apple Intelligence, something that Apple's current home lineup lacks the hardware to run on-device. This smart display would run on a new operating system called homeOS that's based on the Apple TV's tvOS.
"I expect both of the operating systems to ultimately get combined and run on every Apple home device," Gurman said.
Rumors of such a smart home product have been circulating for a while now. Several have claimed that the mysterious smart home device will feature an iPad-esque display, automatically putting it in the running for one of the best smart displays.
Rumor has it the device will feature a squarish display and run on an A18 chip, according to a 9to5Mac report published earlier this week. Though it's not clear whether that's the base A18 or the more powerful A18 Pro found on the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. The device could also feature a built-in camera for video chat capabilities as well as gesture controls. This same report echoed Gurman's claims that the smart home accessory will be capable of running Apple Intelligence features. Earlier this year, MacRumors found evidence of the device and homeOS via code discovered on Apple's backend.
Of course, all of this should be taken with a grain of salt for now. The earliest we'll be able to see if it's enough to make our best smart home devices list is 2025, is everything shakes out on schedule.
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